Local activist donates pet-adoption center

Published: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 9:29 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 9:29 p.m.

An animal rights activist is footing the bill to have a new pet-adoption center built on her property in east Houma.

“This is my passion,” said Diane Baker. “You get these feelings sometimes that you want to give back.”

The 3,000-square-foot metal building is meant to be an upgraded version of My Heart's Desire, a nonprofit pet-adoption center at 246 N. Hollywood Road.

The building costs about $300,000 and is being constructed by the Houma-based Bryan Porche Construction, which will break ground on the project today.

The building was designed by Matherne and Matherne Drafting based in Houma.

Baker is joining forces with the no-kill animal shelter so workers and volunteers there can continue to provide services for homeless animals without having them killed.

The center focuses on finding homes for pets that would otherwise be bound for animal shelters.

Overpopulation at shelters often means animals are killed after a period of time if they're not adopted. Christine Belanger, a volunteer at the My Heart's Desire, said Baker's generosity is overwhelming and the new facility means a lot to her group and especially the animals.

“We are really excited,” she said. “It's going to be an awesome facility, and it's a great thing for the community.”

The existing center is too crowded and doesn't offer enough for animals, Belanger said. The building is also prone to flooding.

The new center will be a major improvement, Belanger said, and will provide workers, visitors and animals with the pet-friendly space they need.

Baker's facility, which will still bear the name, My Heart's Desire, will include 11 large kennels, a meet-and-greet area for guests and plenty of fenced in space outside for animals to run and play.

The new My Heart's Desire center will continue its same pet-adoption practices and procedures.

The animals and equipment at the existing shelter will be transferred over to the new one once it's complete.

Volunteers at My Heart's Desire get pets from a variety of sources, inc luding owners and animal shelters in Assumption, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche and Plaquemines parishes.

To adopt a pet at My Heart's Desire, owners pay a fee, which is used to vaccinate and spay or neuter another pet up for adoption. The nonprofit mostly survives from the fees and private donations.

Baker is hosting a ground-breaking ceremony at 11 a.m. today at the construction site at the corner of Tupelo and Pitre streets.

Baker is also having a life-sized bronze monument constructed to depict a Vietnam soldier with four war dogs — what she says is the first of its kind in Louisiana. Baker said she expects the building and the monument to be done by September.

Baker is passionate about war dogs. She said she's read about how nearly 5,000 dogs served in Vietnam and saved up to 10,000 American servicemen through their scouting and sentry duties.

Sadly, Baker said, when the United States withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, many canines were left behind — declared “surplus armaments” — and either were put to death or left to unknown fates.

Baker said the center and monument are something she hopes will also give east Houma residents something to be proud of.

After taking a homeless dog to My Heart's Desire last year, Baker said she felt the need to help.

She has about four acres of spare property that she wasn't sure what to do with until it dawned on her to build a state-of-the-art pet-adoption center.

“At that moment, it just hit me that that's what I needed to do with that property. It's too much just for me,” she said. “I'm doing this for the community and for the veterans and for the war dogs that were left behind.”

Baker would like to honor those veterans who were dog handlers in the Vietnam War by adding their names to the war-dog monument. If you are such a person, you can email her at carlo1946@comcast.net.

<p>An animal rights activist is footing the bill to have a new pet-adoption center built on her property in east Houma. </p><p>“This is my passion,” said Diane Baker. “You get these feelings sometimes that you want to give back.” </p><p>The 3,000-square-foot metal building is meant to be an upgraded version of My Heart's Desire, a nonprofit pet-adoption center at 246 N. Hollywood Road. </p><p>The building costs about $300,000 and is being constructed by the Houma-based Bryan Porche Construction, which will break ground on the project today.</p><p>The building was designed by Matherne and Matherne Drafting based in Houma. </p><p>Baker is joining forces with the no-kill animal shelter so workers and volunteers there can continue to provide services for homeless animals without having them killed. </p><p>The center focuses on finding homes for pets that would otherwise be bound for animal shelters. </p><p>Overpopulation at shelters often means animals are killed after a period of time if they're not adopted. Christine Belanger, a volunteer at the My Heart's Desire, said Baker's generosity is overwhelming and the new facility means a lot to her group and especially the animals.</p><p>“We are really excited,” she said. “It's going to be an awesome facility, and it's a great thing for the community.” </p><p>The existing center is too crowded and doesn't offer enough for animals, Belanger said. The building is also prone to flooding.</p><p>The new center will be a major improvement, Belanger said, and will provide workers, visitors and animals with the pet-friendly space they need. </p><p>Baker's facility, which will still bear the name, My Heart's Desire, will include 11 large kennels, a meet-and-greet area for guests and plenty of fenced in space outside for animals to run and play. </p><p>The new My Heart's Desire center will continue its same pet-adoption practices and procedures.</p><p>The animals and equipment at the existing shelter will be transferred over to the new one once it's complete. </p><p>Volunteers at My Heart's Desire get pets from a variety of sources, inc luding owners and animal shelters in Assumption, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche and Plaquemines parishes. </p><p>To adopt a pet at My Heart's Desire, owners pay a fee, which is used to vaccinate and spay or neuter another pet up for adoption. The nonprofit mostly survives from the fees and private donations. </p><p>Baker is hosting a ground-breaking ceremony at 11 a.m. today at the construction site at the corner of Tupelo and Pitre streets. </p><p>Baker is also having a life-sized bronze monument constructed to depict a Vietnam soldier with four war dogs — what she says is the first of its kind in Louisiana. Baker said she expects the building and the monument to be done by September. </p><p>Baker is passionate about war dogs. She said she's read about how nearly 5,000 dogs served in Vietnam and saved up to 10,000 American servicemen through their scouting and sentry duties.</p><p>Sadly, Baker said, when the United States withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, many canines were left behind — declared “surplus armaments” — and either were put to death or left to unknown fates.</p><p>Baker said the center and monument are something she hopes will also give east Houma residents something to be proud of.</p><p>After taking a homeless dog to My Heart's Desire last year, Baker said she felt the need to help.</p><p>She has about four acres of spare property that she wasn't sure what to do with until it dawned on her to build a state-of-the-art pet-adoption center. </p><p>“At that moment, it just hit me that that's what I needed to do with that property. It's too much just for me,” she said. “I'm doing this for the community and for the veterans and for the war dogs that were left behind.” </p><p>Baker would like to honor those veterans who were dog handlers in the Vietnam War by adding their names to the war-dog monument. If you are such a person, you can email her at carlo1946@comcast.net.</p>